1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a therapeutic device comprising a far infrared ray emitting material that can be mounted adjacent to and exterior of a human body to enhance circulation and metabolism, as well as to recover from stress and fatigue, in order to maintain the health and coordination of the body.
2. Description of Prior Art
There have been several types of devices developed for improving and maintaining health of human body. For example, one type of devices included a magnetic radiating unit on a far infrared ray generating composition plate (U.S. Pat. No.5,451,199 and 5,894,067), the other devices comprised both germanium powder and ceramic powder for skin contact medical treatment (U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,706). Not only these devices do not work satisfactorily, but also they require complicated mechanism to work with the mixed effects from magnetic field and far infrared radiation in the case of U.S. Pat. No. 5,451,199, or from activating germanium powder and far infrared radiating ceramic powder in the case of U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,706. Both cases might have recognized the potential of far infrared radiation in improving living body functions, but had improperly used it rather as an accessory, a heating source, than as a primary source for cure due to low radiation capacity of the far infrared ray emitting materials used.
Since the first discovery of the infrared ray by a German physicist, various attempts have been made to utilize the same by generating stable far infrared rays having a predetermined period, or wavelength. It has been realized that the far infrared radiation in the wavelength band between 2.5 xcexcm (microns or micrometers) and 30 xcexcm plays a key role in heating and drying.
It is further known that far infrared radiation in a wavelength band of 3.5 xcexcm to 14 xcexcm has a strong resonance effect to substance in which hydrogen-bonding exists. According to Organic Chemistry there exists dipole-dipole interaction between polarized molecules. Hydrogen-bonding is an example of strong dipole-dipole interaction. The electric potentials of such dipole-dipole interactions are in the range of 0.04 eV to 0.5 eV. Based on a simplified equation that governs the relationship between electric potential (eV) and the photon energy E associated with a wavelength xcex(xcexcm):xcex(xcexcm)=1.2398 (eVxe2x88x92xcexcm)/E(eV), such dipole-dipole interactions will resonate with the electromagnetic waves having wavelengths between 2.5 xcexcm to 30 xcexcm, which fall in the far infrared radiation zone.
For example, the water molecules are polarized in nature. It means that the hydrogen atoms and oxygen atoms in water molecules are charged and tend to create a static hydrogen-bonding between water molecules. As a result, the charged water molecules gather and form a large cluster. The hydrogen-bonding between water molecules can be resonantly broken by a far infrared radiation at about 3.5 xcexcm wavelength into individual molecules or molecule clusters of smaller sizes with better mobility and penetration. In addition, a 6.27 xcexcm far infrared radiation can further activate the water molecules, transferring photon energy of the radiation into symmetrically rotational movement of the atoms in the water molecules.
Numerous clinical studies have manifested various effects of far infrared radiation on human bodies such as rise in subcutaneous temperature, enhancement of blood circulation and metabolism, mitigation of sensitive nerves, and so on. Studies also demonstrated that exposure to far infrared radiation could activate the strained molecules in stressed muscles and help recovering from fatigue.
The far infrared ray emitting body is typically composed of oxides selected from the group consisting alumina, silica, alumina hydrate, silica hydrate, zirconia, lithium oxide, magnesium oxide, calcium oxide, titanium oxide, or a mixture of said oxides. Nevertheless, a far infrared rays emitting material with strong radiation capacity is needed in order to permeate into 10 to 40 mm below the skin of a human body to activate cells.
The present inventor has undertaken extensive studies to select a far infrared ray generating composition that possesses a strong radiation capacity in the desirable band of wavelengths, namely 3.5 to 14 xcexcm. As a result, the inventor found that the far infrared ray generating composition fabricated by the method involving inorganic powders having particle sizes smaller than 3,000 angstroms provided a larger radiation effect that could be attributed to larger specific radiation surface areas. A sample composition and fabrication method can be found in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,972. The inventor further found that only those far infrared emitting body comprising mixtures of compounds having an ultrafine inorganic powder with a particle size smaller than 1,000 angstroms, preferably below 200 angstroms, would emit considerable radiation that could effectively activate the cells in human body at a very significant level.
Accordingly, one object of this invention is to provide a personal therapeutic device that can activate the human body to enhance circulation and metabolism, as well as to recover from stress and fatigue. As a result, this device can maintain the health and coordination and enhance living functions of the human body.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an easy-to-wear or xe2x80x94carry and yet effective human body condition enhancement device.
These objectives are achieved by a device comprising:
a supporting means; and
a far infrared ray emitting body disposed on said supporting means.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will hereinafter become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description.